What exactly does it mean? Is a bike with a salvaged title still ridable and durable in the long run? Street legal? Any problems with registering it? Anything else about it would help. There is a company that sells all salvaged title bikes, but they all look cosmetically awesome from internet pics.

Schwing

03-26-2006, 06:25 PM

A salvage title means that at one time the bike was totalled. This damage could range anywhere from just plastics and cosmetic damage up to frame damage. To total a bike, I believe the damage must exceed 70% of the fair market price of the vehicle at the time of the accident. If you tag every single piece of plastic on a bike, that's sometimes enough to total it.

That said, a salvage title bike is indeed still rideable if it has been fixed. Street legality is only if it's been fixed to be street legal again. There aren't any problems registering a salvaged bike, just that it says salvage on the title. The only problem is insuring it. Most insurance companies will not carry full coverage for a salvage title bike - it's not worth it.

If you're going to buy a salvage title bike from a company, make sure of a few important things: get a full list of the original damage to the bike, make sure all the VIN, engine and frame numbers still match - if they don't, ask why... and last, make sure the gauge cluster is original - and if it isn't, find out how many miles were put on the ENGINE of the bike.

Hope that helped.

BlackBulletRR

03-26-2006, 06:48 PM

+1 on what she said..

only thing id watch out for is if the person selling the bike got it totalled in an accident, then bought it back from the insurance company and fixed it himself.. ppl fix em all the time and sell em to make money. The problem with this is that they dont spend as much money that needs to be put into the bike inorder for it to be built to the way it was before the accidend. i.e. if something is bent, they'll try to bend it back instead of replacing the part. and obviously theyre not gonna get it straight to the way it was before by simply trying to bend it back with some garage tools.

I'm saying this because my friend bought a salvaged bike. The front forks had been bent due to the accident and the person he bought the bike from simply bent em back. They were straight and all but one of the bearings inside the fork was still damaged. The bike rode fine for the first week but after that the bearing gave out while he was riding and the bike turned hard to the right. Luckily my friend wasnt riding too fast so he stopped the bike before anything serious had happened.

If I were you, Id save up another 1-2gs and buy a bike with a clean title just for the piece of mind.

Unless if the bike has been rebuilt by a professional shop, casue thats a completly different story.

Spectre

03-26-2006, 06:56 PM

first off Schwing is a chica.

Second - Schwing, good info, I was wondering exactly a salvaged title was as well, I knew it was a wrecked, but wasn't sure it was a totaled bike.

Third - BlackBulletRR good info on your part as well.

Peace out

BlackBulletRR

03-26-2006, 07:01 PM

first off Schwing is a chica.

damn thanks I didnt know.. I edited it now

Schwing

03-26-2006, 07:17 PM

HAHA yes, I am of the female sort.

Schwing

03-26-2006, 07:18 PM

I also forgot to mention that most stolen recoveries are switched to a salvage title, sometimes regardless of damage or not. Also a good thing to find out when buying.

bqueen

03-26-2006, 07:32 PM

not all states will allow you to fix and put back on the road salvage motorcycles

caboarder2001

03-26-2006, 07:45 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I already got an 03RR and im not lookin right now but its just a thought that came to me. These bikes look decent, prices are fair. Thier stock rotates every week. Not too many right now.
http://www.forwardmotionmc.com/showroom.htm (http://www.forwardmotionmc.com/showroom.htm)

Alex

03-26-2006, 11:29 PM

State law in WI requires you to have the motorcycle (or car) inspected by the State Highway Patrol before you can register it. For motorcycle inspections, you MUST bring pictures of what the bike looked like before you fixed it. I'd imagine the procedure is pretty similar in all states. The inspections are quite thorough.

melantus

03-26-2006, 11:35 PM

Here in CT you have to take a salvage bike to NH where they basically dismantle your damn bike and check every damn thing to make sure the partts on it arent stolen. Also they pull on everything to make sure nothing is loose. I've even heard of them pulling all the fairings off and checking those too. It's a real mess to rebuild a title here.

buzcher

03-27-2006, 12:07 AM

I am on my second salvage bike. the first one was an f4i and now i have my 600rr.
i personally am one who buys it still wrecked and i fix it. after fixing the bike you couldn't even tell it had ever been in an accident. i can assure you i would replace a dent item rather than trying to straighten it and rip someon off. i make sure the bike is in complete perfect opperating order because i ride it for a year or two. if you fix them your self you can save huge. my 600rr's grand total including bike and all parts is around $2700 not including paint (bought everything off ebay). keep your eye out for my bike in an up comming bike of the month and i'll post before and after pics.

rendizzo

03-27-2006, 07:44 PM

What exactly does it mean? Is a bike with a salvaged title still ridable and durable in the long run? Street legal? Any problems with registering it? Anything else about it would help.

Found this on Craigslist LA, hope it helps. Don't know the exact credentials of the guy, but I found the info useful.

For those people that don't know what a salvage title means for a Motorcycle! Motorcycle salvage titles is not as same as a car or a truck, when a Vehicle has a salvage title that means its been total out buy the insurance company that won't pay too repair it or beyond repair! Now for a Motorcycle, the bike could only be missing the plastics or parts that the insurance companies think its not worth paying for because of your safety on that bike or the parts cost too much at the dealer new. Now if the frame, forks, etc. is damage the bike will be a total loss and can't be registor anymore or ridden on the streets anymore, it can only be used for parts or track use. Since i've been riding bikes for 10 years now, i always had purchase salvage bikes and than ran perfect, just like the new ones! The only problem you might have is getting full coverage insurance on the bike which you will get some money back but not the full amount of what the bike is worth in the blue book. I see alot of people on CL turning away from a salvage bike. I buy salvage bikes from the auction and i make sure when i do buy an salvage bike, it only has missing or broken parts too replace and its rideable again with no problems! I would stay away from the frame damage bikes unless you know how too replace the frame with a new one because its going too cost you alot of money at a bike shop. Basically, when you purchase a salvage bike just look for frame damage around the fork area if its bent in where the neck meets the frame, if its ok, then it probably was a theft recovery or in a minor accident, that means it worth buying depending on the year, make and model of the bike. Ive been in this bussiness for 20 years now and just started riding them 10 years ago and they ride no different than the Clean title bikes! People just won't buy them because other people don't understand what a salvge title means for a bike and they end up paying less for it because of the title. I hope this clears people Craniums up and stop saying negative things about a salvage bike that performs just as good as a clean title bike! But remember, its your money, so you spent it how you want and make sure when you do purchase a salvage bike always check around the neck area of the frame or insides for damage around the fork areas, if its ok, then buy it, only if its clean or worth it!

this is in or around Cycle Salvage

Simonster

03-27-2006, 08:09 PM

lyon, the guy that owns forward motion, is a good guy. a lot of these salvaged title bike companies/guys are total scammers, but he's actually legit.

i got my RR from them. their bikes look new because he buys salvaged bikes and either replaces or fixes all the broken stuff, which is why the bikes look great.

buying a bike from forward motion is like buying a bike from any other new bike dealership in that they're a registered dealer and do all the paperwork/inspections for you.

if you buy a salvage title bike from a junk yard or wholesaler, those bikes are NOT rideable until they have been fixed up and pass inspection by a registered bike dealers and/or CHP. i can't remember if those are salvage titles, or something else. it looks a bit different to reflect that the bike is not road-worthy.

dxh13

03-27-2006, 10:06 PM

schwing is right (like everyone else said)... think it varies state to state, but often damage between 70-95% purchase price. depending who does the assessment, a newer bike can total out real fast. like she said, plastics priced from a dealer can price out at a few grand. scratched swing-arm? replace it. dent in the tank? replace it. it goes on and on, cause the insurance co is liable to get it back to pre-wreck condition.

i did a lot of reading and chattin before i bought mine. the thing to remember is that salvage title bikes will retain the salvage mark on the title if u want to sell it, so it will prolly be harder to sell or fetch less of a price. some ppl scam by going to states that let the salvage mark get taken off the title. anywho, if you're lookin to keep it for a few years and figure it will depriciate either way, u can get a good deal...

i know some mechanics and ppl w/ shops, and the feedback i got was never buy a salvage bike that has been in a wreck that bent the forks. they said the frame near the triple tree mount often bends, and it's very difficult to spot. there's a shop in chi-town that will rebend your frame, but it's like a grand or something.

if you're willing to do some work, you can get a great deal. a couple of grand and you can get a bike that's a year or two old and just needs some clips and covers and some misc stuff and be ready to ride (albeit uglified :) my plastics are still rashed like the day i got her, and i can't say i much mind since i'm ridin to ride and not to impress ppl...